A typical fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel pump that conveys fuel being stored in a fuel tank through a fuel supply line to a fuel injector on the engine. As the engine operates, the fuel pump is activated to provide a continuous supply of fuel to the engine. However, an engine's fuel consumption varies greatly with its required output. More fuel is required during times of higher engine demand and less fuel during times of lesser engine demand, or during idling. In order to ensure that the engine is always provided with adequate fuel, the fuel pump is typically designed to provide fuel to the engine at the rate required for maximum engine output. Therefore, during times of less-than maximum engine output, the fuel pump delivers excess fuel to the system. It is common for a fuel supply system to include a flow-through regulator to ensure that only the required amount of fuel is provided to the engine, and to allow for any excess fuel provided to the fuel supply line to be returned to the fuel tank by means of a fuel return line.
With the fuel pump designed to provide fuel to meet the requirements of the engine when operating at maximum output, electrical energy is consumed wastefully by the pump during times of non-peak engine output. During these non-peak times, the fuel pump is providing excess fuel to the fuel supply system which is then returned to the fuel tank via the flow-through regulator and fuel return line. Accordingly, there is a need for improvement in the relevant art.